EaselJS is a powerful and flexible JavaScript library for building interactive web graphics. With EaselJS, you can easily create and manipulate graphics, animations, and interactivity on your web pages. EaselJS is designed to work with other libraries and frameworks like CreateJS, PIXI.js, and Three.js, and is built on top of the HTML5 canvas element. In this article, we’ll take a look at what EaselJS is, how it works, and how you can use it to build amazing web graphics.

What is EaselJS?

EaselJS is a JavaScript library for working with the HTML5 canvas element. It provides a simple API for creating, manipulating, and animating graphics on the canvas. EaselJS was created by Grant Skinner and his team at gskinner.com, and is part of the larger CreateJS suite of libraries for building interactive HTML5 content.

How does EaselJS work?

EaselJS provides a set of classes and methods for working with the canvas element. These include classes for displaying images, text, shapes, and other graphic elements, as well as classes for handling input events and animation. EaselJS uses the HTML5 canvas element to render all of its graphics, which means that it can take advantage of the hardware acceleration provided by modern browsers.

One of the key features of EaselJS is its display list. The display list is a hierarchical structure that represents all of the graphical elements that are being displayed on the canvas. Each element is represented by a DisplayObject, which can be a container, an image, a shape, or other types of graphic elements. You can add, remove, and modify DisplayObjects in real time, allowing you to create complex and dynamic graphics with ease.

Examples of EaselJS

To give you an idea of what can be achieved with EaselJS, let’s take a look at a few examples. The first example is a simple game called “Catch the Egg”. In this game, the player uses the mouse to move a basket back and forth to catch falling eggs. The game features smooth animation, particle effects, and sound effects. The code for this game is available on the EaselJS website, so you can download it and see how it works for yourself.

Another great example of EaselJS in action is the “Interactive Infographic” by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This infographic allows users to explore the different layers of the ocean and learn about the different creatures that live there. The infographic features beautiful graphics, interactive animations, and a wealth of information. The code for this infographic is also available on the EaselJS website.

How to use EaselJS

If you’re interested in using EaselJS for your own web graphics, there are a few things you’ll need to do. First, you’ll need to download and install the CreateJS suite of libraries from the CreateJS website. Once you have these libraries installed, you can start using EaselJS in your own projects.

To get started with EaselJS, you’ll need to create a canvas element on your web page. You can do this using HTML code, or by using JavaScript to create and append the canvas element to your page. Once you have your canvas element on your page, you can start using EaselJS to draw graphics on it.

To draw a shape with EaselJS, you’ll need to create a new Shape object, set its properties (such as the fill color and stroke), and then add it to the display list. Here’s an example:

var shape = new createjs.Shape();

shape.graphics.beginFill("red").drawCircle(0,0,50);

shape.x = 100;

shape.y = 100;

stage.addChild(shape);

In this example, we create a new Shape object, set its fill color to red, draw a circle with radius 50, and then position it at (100,100) on the canvas. We then add this shape to the stage (which is the root display object for the canvas). When we run this code, we should see a red circle appear on the canvas.

Conclusion

EaselJS is a powerful and flexible JavaScript library for building interactive web graphics. It provides an easy-to-use API for creating, manipulating, and animating graphics on the HTML5 canvas element. With EaselJS, you can create complex and dynamic graphics that are sure to engage your users. If you’re interested in learning more about EaselJS, be sure to check out the official website and documentation.